Instinct Dog Behavior & Training

Instinct has been truly amazing for my pup Hendricks and me! For background, Hendricks is a 1 year old rescue. When I first adopted him in August 2023, he was high energy, very reactive towards other dogs, sensitive to loud noises and would react with very loud barks, and just in general had a hard time settling down. I researched a lot online and started training him on my own, but decided it would be beneficial to seek professional help, specifically from those that used positive training and would train him in NYC. I started with 3 at-home classes with Mari, who really helped teach me the basics and prioritize what to work on with Hendricks. Then, I signed him up for two camps that coincided with my travel plans over Thanksgiving and Christmas. He stayed at the East Harlem facility for 2 weeks in November, then was back with me for a couple weeks, then back at Instinct for 3 weeks across Dec-Jan. There, he worked directly with Oyuki to help learn settling skills, loose leash walking, navigating around other dogs and dealing with his reactivity, and more (Recall, Drop, etc.) While he was at camp, Oyuki and the canine care team all sent frequent updates, along with pictures and videos to show me how he was doing and what he was learning. He clearly had a blast there and loved playing in the big backyard and running around with other pups who were specifically selected to match with his needs. From a training perspective, Oyuki was very responsive to my many questions and very helpfully showed and taught me what I would need to do. The videos were also especially helpful for me to see how to continue to train Hendricks, once he transitioned back home to my care. The camp also came with a mid-camp in-facility lesson, as well as ones at the end when I came to take Hendricks home, and it was great to be able to talk with Oyuki and see in person how she handled certain situations with Hendricks. It was also so sweet to see the bond that they built up with each other! Hendricks absolutely fell in love with Oyuki, and he’s learned so much from her! He’s calmed down significantly and can now settle on his own comfortably without me having to guide him. His reactivity has also improved tremendously, and he can now mostly walk neutrally by other dogs. Of course, he’ll always stay a reactive dog, but he’s learning to deal with it, and I have much better control over it as well. He’s better with impulse control, and can take time to think and listen before he acts. His basic cues are also much improved and more consistent. And personally for me, I feel like a better, smarter dog owner and much more confident in my own ability to train him too. All in all, I cannot recommend Instinct enough. From the start with in-home lessons to his camps to all the follow-up afterwards, it’s so clear that each and every one of Instinct’s team members care so much for Hendricks and also do their best to help me learn as much as I can. Thank you so much to everyone at Instinct for all that you do - Hendricks and I are forever grateful!!!

This is a review for Instinct's Board and Camp program in Harlem, NY. I sent my dog Dash to camp for 2 weeks to work on leash training skills and reinforce some commands for better behavior. I worked very closely with Rebecca who was super thorough in her communication and follow-ups. After camp, Rebecca visited us at home twice to help me implement the things both Dash and I learned in our regular environment. This was critical for both of us. Dash absolutely loved her and all of the trainers he interacted with at Instinct. We both gained a lot of confidence for our walks together and I went from being pulled down the street to walking with him beside me on a slack leash - pretty amazing. Can't say enough good things about how organized and helpful the staff at Instinct have been. Highly recommend.